Another two RPG bundle offers - Hero System 6th edition and Champions

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More games and supplements for Hero System, the RPG system that (almost) launched the superhero RPG genre as Champions - there were some predecessors, none especially good - then diversified to cover the whole spectrum of genres. One is for the system as a whole, the other focuses on Champions This is mostly new to these bundles but there are a few repeats mixed in with them:

Hero System 6E

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Hero6E

"This is one of two offers now in progress featuring the 2009 Sixth Edition of the HERO System from Hero Games. This HERO System 6E Bundle has the core rulebook and essential supplements. Its companion offer, Champions 6E, has the superheroic line of campaign supplements and sourcebooks, including the standalone Champions Complete rulebook.

Across five editions from 1980 to 2009, Champions and the HERO System maintained remarkable consistency. A character built way back in First Edition, though underpowered by the standards of Fifth Revised Edition, can nonetheless wade into a FRED battle basically unchanged. But Hero Games line developer Steven S. Long, the prolific mainstay of the line, saw opportunities to fix a few minor issues that had bothered him and others. On the Hero forums in 2008 he solicited discussion and feedback in a topic that eventually accumulated several thousand posts. Steve read them all, discussed them a lot, and eventually synthesized a truly gigantic two-volume, 788-page rules set that did, indeed, fix those minor issues.

Sixth is the first version that makes breaking changes to backward compatibility, though these revisions make barely a ripple compared to, say, D&D 3.x > 4E > 5E. Most heroes designed for previous editions still work fine in 6E, though if you care about accurate point totals, a conversion requires significant tuning. [Jargon alert: For those familiar with HERO, Sixth Edition drops the venerable cost breaks for Figured Characteristics, and compensates by upping a character's starting character points. Some skill prices have changed, a few powers (especially Adjustments) are reworked and repriced, and Elemental Controls have given way to "Unified Power." The most significant design revision is a slight nerfing of Killing Attacks: The Stun Multiple is reduced, and non-resistant defenses work against KAs by default. On the other hand, Armor Piercing is now a +1/4 advantage -- cheap!]

For a few years after its debut, 6E amplified in the HERO community the previously negligible annoyance of edition wars. Much of this tension arose because 6E requires a technical shift in thinking about character conceptions and point costs. Now players tend to view its changes as logical and sensible, if sometimes over-detailed. (When a HERO fan calls rules "over-detailed," you may justly raise an eyebrow.) Sixth Edition, like every HERO edition, has its particular adherents -- but 6E has earned wider respect as one more evolution of a landmark system that, across 40 years, still draws devoted fans.

In both page count and discount off retail price, these two offers represent some of the best values we've ever presented. We provide each ebook complete in .PDF (Portable Document Format). Like all Bundle of Holding titles, these books have NO DRM (Digital Restrictions Management), and our customers are entitled to move them freely among all their ereaders.

Ten percent of each purchase of these two HERO offers (after gateway fees) goes to their pandemic-related charity, Direct Relief.

The total retail value of the titles in this offer is an impressive US$258. Customers who pay just US$24.95 get all seven titles in this offer's Player Collection (retail value $135) as DRM-free .PDF ebooks, including three complete 6E core rulebooks -- the 138-page HERO System Basic Rulebook (retail price $15) and the complete two-volume corebook, V1 Character Creation (retail $20) and V2 Combat and Adventuring (retail $20) -- as well as the rules expansions Advancd Player's Guide (retail $19) and Advanced Players' Guide II (retail $18); and the 6E Equipment Guide (retail $17.50) and Skills (retail $20, both previously in our November 2013 Hero Bundle).

Those who pay more than this offer's threshold (average) price, which is set at $39.95 to start, also get this offer's entire Game Master Collection with six more titles worth an additional $128, including Star Hero 6E (retail $33) and Fantasy Hero 6E (retail $20, both also in the November 2013 offer); the Grimoire (retail $20), Bestiary (retail $20), and Martial Arts (retail $15); and The Ultimate Base (retail $20).

Champions 6E

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Champions6E

"This is the second of two offers now in progress featuring the 2009 Sixth Edition of the HERO System from Hero Games. The first offer, HERO System 6E Bundle, has the universal rulebooks and generic supplements and sourcebooks that let you create any kind of character and campaign.  This companion offer, Champions 6E, adds the superhero-specific rules, campaign books, and sourcebooks.

We provide each ebook complete in .PDF (Portable Document Format). Like all Bundle of Holding titles, these books have NO DRM (Digital Restrictions Management), and our customers are entitled to move them freely among all their ereaders.

Ten percent of each purchase (after gateway fees) goes to these two HERO 6E offers' pandemic-related charity, Direct Relief. Direct Relief gets protective gear and critical care medications to health workers, with emergency deliveries to medical facilities across the US and to regional response agencies across the world.

The total retail value of the titles in this offer is a very rich US$198.50. Customers who pay just US$24.95 get all six titles in this offer's Campaign Collection (retail value $105) as DRM-free .PDF ebooks: the Champions Complete rulebook (retail price $20 -- previously in our November 2013 Hero Bundle); the Champions Sixth Edition campaign sourcebook (retail $20), one of the last game supplements with work by the late Aaron Allston; Powers (retail $20); the 6E version of Champions Universe (retail $20); the Galaxy-spanning Champions Beyond (retail $20); and the recent collection of pregenerated superhero characters, Book of Templates (retail $5).

Those who pay more than this offer's threshold (average) price, which is set at $39.95 to start, also get this offer's entire Villain Collection with four more titles worth an additional $93.50: all three volumes of the massive Villains series -- V1 Master Villains (retail $20), V2 Villain Teams (retail $20), V3 Solo Villains (retail $28.50) -- and Book of the Empress (retail $25) plus its Booklet of the Empress, a 45-page bonus collection of characters provided to backers of the December 2011 Kickstarter campaign
 

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Most of the material in both offers is new to these bundles, and very good value if you're a long-time Hero System or Champions fan who has been thinking about going over to the new rules,  or adapting new material to the old rules, or a newcomer who wants to dive in with the latest revisions.

The down side to all this is that the Hero System has never been the simplest of games - the rules can get complicated and reward optimaxing. Some activities, most notably combat, play fairly slowly. In short, there are alternatives that may be more suitable for a newcomer or someone who prefers a faster style of play.

I'll be honest, I'm not enough of an enthusiast to want to dive in and learn it all over again, since I don't think I've actually played any of these games any time this century! If you're already using another multi-genre system you might do better to look at its superhero rules first, but if you're already using the Hero System this could be a very good buy.

Comments

[joseph_teller]

The gaming group I was running for many years used the 5th Edition, and heavily invested in that edition of the game. When 6th edition came out was about the time the group passed on it and continued with 5th for another year, then ran some non-Hero system games and then the group ran out of steam and ended. They publish a LOT of material for an edition, to make it multi-genre which is good but the game systems have a learning curve that's rather steep for new players.

Generally each edition is incompatible in many ways with the previous one, as they change some root mechanics that reflect thru the system. Its a system that is all about backwards engineering, that is you have to think about a character concept then tinker with the mechanics to meet the vision you have of what you want to play using the mechanics.... it requires a fair sum of math to do well in it. (I was playing with folks that were Accountants, PHD level Scientists, Software Designers for Nasa etc. so the math was less of a problem).

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I still think fondly of Champions because it was the first superhero game I enjoyed, but the whole optimaxing / number crunching thing was always a pain. I've always preferred a more freewheeling approach, and while it's fun to roll buckets of dice (A mechanic I'll freely admit stealing for Diana: Warrior Princess) the rules lawyering that went with it in Champions was not my idea of fun. It may be telling that my favourite Champions character was Captain Croak: Crimefighter and Frog, who was pretty much useless but good at pretending that he had amazing frog powers.

[joseph_teller]

I rarely got to play in Superhero games under the system.... I did play in a few odd ball settings that were more Fantasy or Post Apocalyptic than superhero... and I ran a few superhero games though that had fun bits.

One of my favorites as a GM was a University of Students who were being trained as supers secretly as part of a government program (think PS 238 as College Dorm group). I had some fun NPCs in the group for them to deal with as fellow student.... like a character with mental powers (TK, Clairvoyance, and a tiny bit of invisibility to normal senses usable only on objects that was linked to it). He did present as a super, just claimed he had the ability to see/hear thru others invisibility as his only power, but had an "Always Invisible Friend" schtick going on that was how his powers manifested... it took months for the players to realize that the invisible friend was indeed fictional and just in his head. Then they had to convince him... which they never really managed to do. His TK was at a basic human normal max, so it would do things like open doors for him, carry an extra lunch tray in the cafeteria, appear to eat food (it would just become invisible for a while, etc.)

One of my favorite Anti-heroes that I'd use was 'Black Arrow' a sort of mercenary Archer character with a lot of gear based stuff.... like the comics version of Hawkeye, but he was a bounty hunter that would interfere in various story lines as he was chasing people on warrants and wanted to grab them and bring them in for rewards.... not a bad guy, just had different motivations than the PCs. Mentally I had him pegged as a young Bruce Campbell kind of character.

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I like the college idea - avoids a lot of the problems associated with school settings while still imposing a bit of structure.

Black Arrow sounds like fun. I'm reminded slightly of Othar Tyggverson, GENTLEMAN ADVENTURER!! from the Girl Genius comics, who occasionally turns up to save the day, even if it really doesn't need saving.